Grizzly bear kills hunter in Alaskan wilderness park first

A grizzly bear attacked and killed a hunter this weekend in Alaska’s Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve, the US National Park Service (NPS) has announced.

The mauling fatality is the first in the 40 years since the nation’s largest wilderness park was established.

The hunter, whose name is being withheld until an investigation concludes, was on a 10-day moose hunt with a friend in the vast uninhabited park when the bear attacked and mauled him to death.

Usually, according to the NPS, bears will move away from humans if they see or hear them coming.

Grizzly attacks are rare, but if you are attacked by any kind of bear, the NPS recommends you play dead by lying flat on your stomach with your legs spread out.

Bears are more active and potentially dangerous at this time of year, as they seek food in preparation for their winter-long hibernation.

The Wrangell and St Elias Park is much larger than most European countries and contains the largest volcanoes and the most glaciers in North America.